Adventure sports that thrill us with their concept and add ultimate excitement to our lives at the same time. India being a country that consists of the most adventurous and beautiful rivers and platforms in various states, offer ample opportunity for the execution of such extreme and adrenaline sports.

These adventurous sports promote the sport, tourism as well as the existing talent in our country. With several adventure sports festivals commencing in India, it also provides massive opportunities for brands to explore, invest and host experiential activities at an already established experiential event. Numerous brands have understood and experienced the amount of ROI these events generate. AT EE we look at some of the extreme sports festivals of 2014.

Bike Festival of India: The first season of the Bike Festival of India was an initiative of Rhiti Sports and Event Capital where they established a unique platform bringing together country's biking enthusiasts. Held for two days (October 4-5) at the Buddh International Circuit in Noida, it attracted audience and participants with interest in motorbikes. The objective was to get biking communities from across the country together under one roof. Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni who is also an avid biker, was the brand ambassador at the bike festival.

Several races were organized such as Drag Racing and Top Gun whereas off-track competitions included weight lifting, arm wrestling, bench press, push-ups, also became a part of the event. Such extreme sports festivals having been launched in the country, provide a platform to brands for their experiential marketing.

The 2^nd Annual Ganga Kayak Festival: The Ganga Kayak Festival organized in Rishikesh intended to encourage and introduce more Indian paddlers to the sport of Kayaking. The festival was led by a team of professional international Kayak guides and instructors called The Adventure Sports Society (TASS).  The festival consists of three competitions; Boater Cross, Down River Race and Mass Boater Cross. All the three competitions are for professional level kayakers. In addition to this there are two separate categories catering to beginners and women. The competitions are held on the Golf course rapid, which is the fastest and most challenging rapids on the river Ganga.

In order to make the two day festival more interesting there are various local Indian food vendors, kayak gear suppliers and music events are also featured. Receiving great amount of footfall, it is a great venue for brands to engage with customers and enhance their market visibility.

Malabar River Festival, Kerala: An initiative of Department of Tourism, Kerala, hosted at Kozhikode promotes the sport of whitewater Kayaking in South India, displaying the unexplored rivers that Kerala has to offer to the international paddling community. This year the festival returned with the motto of “Bigger, Harder and Faster” along with doubling the prize money and welcoming over 80 participants from around the world. Best international athletes from various countries including England, USA, Brazil, New Zealand etc. that participated at the grand event. The event hosted around three days included new event categories like Endurance Boater Cross and Play- Boating Freestyle.

Red Bull Flugtag: Moving one step further from adventurous sports and incorporating the element of innovation with adventure is what Red Bull did by hosting India’s first flugtag competition in Bangalore. The event witnessed the excitement of 37 teams from across the country. The participating teams needed to meet the criteria set forth by the organizers, Red Bull, and must consist of four members: three “ground crew” and one “pilot.” During the competition the human powered flying machines were pushed from 22 feet onto a water body or a sea. The team that managed to have the longest flights (measured in feet) was declared the winner. The pilot was kept on board during the flight while his crew helped him in the task. Thus the winner was decided on three core parameters: flight distance, creativity of the built and showmanship.

Brainchild of one of the leading food and beverage brand, Red Bull, it was a fun activity for its guests and participants.

India’s Megathon, Rishikesh: Desi Backpacker Ltd. And 7 miles Event Management announced India’s leading adventure sports festival- ‘Megathon’ to be hosted along the Ganges, which is 10kms from Rishikesh. Its India’s one of its kind adventure sports meet promoting the talent of adventure sports in the country. A three day affair, it establishes a platform for adventure enthusiasts to partake in a pool of adventure sports under one roof. This festival brings to one platter a host of competitions such as White Water Rafting Race, Quaterathon, Mountain Bike Relay Race, Paintball competitions, Rope Pulling etc. These competitions give the participants ample opportunity to test and showcase their physical and mental ability in several ways.

Tehri Adventure Sports Festival: The state of Uttarakhand is all set to host an Adventure Sports Festival on October 9 and 10 at Koti Colony, Tehri. As a part of the event various adventure activities like parachute jumping, paragliding and other water sports will be showcased by the Indian Air Force Personnel. Other activities showcased at the event are laser light show, hot air balloon, boating and other adventure water sports.

This adventure sports festival is a great opportunity to engage with people and enhance brand recall.

Paragliding Festival, Jammu & Kashmir: An initiative of Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department, the Paragliding Festival was an initiative to attract adventure seeking tourists to the state. Held on the outskirts of Srinagar with its beautiful mountains and vast Valley offered tremendous scope for the adventure sport. This paragliding festival being one of its kind in the state and in the country as well, invites several paragliders from across the country and is a great place for marketers to attract their potential consumers through various activations catering to their respective brands.